


Break Our Hearts (And Our Legs)

by Lukutoukka



Series: Break Our Hearts (And Our Legs) [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: (not graphic), A Very Unfun Fic, Depiction of a Career Ending Injury, Dex and Nursey are not together anymore, Heartbreak, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Sad Ending, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 05:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14687679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lukutoukka/pseuds/Lukutoukka
Summary: Nursey watches Dex play. It's not a good game for Dex.***Please be aware that this not happy at all.





	Break Our Hearts (And Our Legs)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Denois](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/gifts).



> So I read a thing with a career ending injury being the beginning and I thought to myself, "how about the career ending injury is the end". I shared my idea, I was enabled, here we are.
> 
> Also, seriously, this was described as "a sad mean cruel bit of writing". I am oddly proud, but please be aware of that.

Nursey seriously considers not watching the game. The Aces had been knocked out of the play-offs in Game 7 of round one, and it still hurt, being eliminated in round one after the season they had, seeing Dex in the handshake line, his eyes softening when they passed each other… In the end, Nursey turns on his TV and gets himself a snack and a beer. He grimaces when he flops down on his couch, disregarding his shoulder. His body aches the way it always does after the season, more so with each year, almost too familiar now, the price to pay for playing the game, but his shoulder is especially bad.

As it turns out, he’s just in time for the anthem, the camera panning along the players. His heart stutters and aches the same way his hockey injuries do when the camera catches Dex.

God, he misses him so much.

***

Nursey isn’t sure how they started. Well, no, that’s not quite right. He knows how they started, remembers it, the two of them playing together in Boston for two years. Dex, the golden boy, the local one - more or less at least. Close enough for the fans, who took Dex into their hearts from the second he got drafted by the Bruins in the first round. Derek was drafted by Providence that same year and they’d known each other, had known of each other, through Jack and Bitty, whose relationship was more of an open secret than anything else in players circles.

Then, after three seasons with the Falconers, Derek was traded to the Bruins and as it turned out, he and Dex got along like a house on fire. They played amazing hockey together, the roomed together on roadies, they became best friends and at some point, they fell into bed together.

***

Nursey roots for the Sharks for several reasons: One, being eliminated by the team that went on and got the Cup is way better than being eliminated by the team that goes on being eliminated in the next round. Second, Chowder is their goalie and he’s the best person ever. Third, Dex is playing with them now, he doesn’t have a ring yet and he really deserves one. Also, the Ducks are assholes and don’t deserve to go on.

So the first break, the Sharks carrying an early 2-0 lead more or less easily into the second period, finds Nursey a little more relaxed. He’s on his second beer, he found a position that is both relaxing and taking weight of his shoulder and he’s got his laptop open, thinking about a last-minute trip somewhere, taking his mind off of Dex.

***

They had been great friends, playing amazing hockey together. And for a while, they had been amazing lovers as well. Until reality caught up with them.

They had never called it a relationship even though it probably had been, but in any case, it had ended.

It had ended for good when Derek was traded to the Aces after his second season with the Bruins, but really they had seen it coming everywhere: always having to be careful how they behaved, what they said around other people, but especially in public and in front of cameras, had put a strain on their relationship. 

They fought more and more, about less and less important things, it had started to affect their hockey and in the end, Nursey was kind of relieved to be traded away.

***

He calls Shitty during the second period and they watch the game together.

“I miss him,” Nursey says apropos of nothing, but Shitty knows what he means anyway.

“I know.” 

“For a while, I thought he was my happily ever after,” Nursey says and then, with a sigh: “Sometimes I still think he could be.”

They’re quiet for a bit.

“I invited him over for a couple days during off season,” Nursey finally says.

“Brah...”

“I know.” Nursey sighs. “Trust me, I know.”

***

After his trade, they had exchanged some texts, but that tapered out and for a long while, they didn’t speak with each other.

Derek kept tabs on Dex both through the press (for the hockey stuff) and their mutual friends (for the private stuff), they met for games every now and again, shook hands and moved on. Derek assumed Dex had kept tabs on him as well, because Dex had been the one to get back in touch after Derek lost two teeth to a high stick.

_ Now who’s the stereotypical hockey player?  _ the text had read and even though it was from a number Derek didn’t recognize, he knew exactly who the sender was. He’d texted back before thinking about it too much, still a little hazy from the pain meds, and suddenly they were talking again.

***

It’s the start of the third period, when the world stops turning.

“Fucking Ducks,” Nursey says in response to the borderline hit #55 doles out and Shitty gasps dramatically in response.

“Derek Nurse, what have ducks ever done to you that you would say that?” he asks.

“Dude, THE Ducks, not duck ducks. Duck ducks are okay, I guess,” Nursey answers and Shitty laughs. Nursey laughs too, at Shitty and at his twitter feed, where Bitty is liveposting his attempt to bake. There’s plans for a Europe trip with Shitty in the making, he’s slightly buzzed, comfortable and weirdly content.

Which is when he hears one of the commentators say “a bad hit and Poindexter is down.” He doesn’t hear anything after that, not what Shitty might say, not what the commentators are saying, nothing.

The TV shows a replay of the hit, #55 of the Ducks again, as if he didn’t just get away with a questionable hit, a guy built like a tank on skates, barreling into Dex, sending them both into the boards, Dex like a buffer between the dude and the glass, #55’s shoulder clearly hitting Dex’s head. The guy kind of bounces off of Dex and skates away - and Dex crumbles to the ice without any attempt to break his fall.

There’s static in Nursey’s ears, a cold hand pressing down on his chest, restricting his breath.

“Please move,” he whispers. “Please, Dex, move.”

The broadcast cuts back to live pictures.

Dex doesn’t move.

 


End file.
